FAYETTEVILLE - Welcome to the SEC, Bobby Petrino.
Arkansas' first-year coach suffered the most-lopsided loss of his college career Saturday, a 49-14 drilling by No. 9 Alabama in the Razorbacks' conference opener.
The Crimson Tide scored six touchdowns of 25 yards or longer, including two interception returns, made a goal-line stand from the 1-yard line just before halftime, and generally pulled the plug on excitement for the Arkansas partisans in the crowd of 72,315 at Reynolds Razorback Stadium throughout the afternoon.
"It's kind of surreal," Arkansas center Jonathan Luigs said. "We definitely didn't think the outcome was going to be like this."
Petrino's worst loss in four seasons at Louisville had been by a 45-14 margin at South Florida in 2005, and his worst home loss had been 37-7 against Memphis in 2003.
"We've still got a lot to learn, a long way to go," Petrino said. "We're going to stay positive, we're going to stay working hard."
Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC) won its SEC opener for the 17th consecutive season, and for the second time in Fayetteville. The Crimson Tide posted their highest point total against an SEC opponent since a 59-28 victory over Vanderbilt in 1990 and their largest winning margin in an SEC road game since a 62-27 decisionagainst Ole Miss in 1989.
"Coming on the road, I thought we played very physical [and] dominant, came out ready to play," Alabama Coach Nick Saban said.
The Razorbacks (2-1, 0-1) came out of the gates sluggishly just as they did in their come-from-behind victories over Western Illinois and Louisiana-Monroe to start the season. But against the heavy-hitting, self-assured Crimson Tide, a come-from-behind victory was never a possibility. Arkansas quarterback Casey Dick came into the game as the SEC's total offense leader, but he threw three costly interceptions. Javier Arenas returned the first interception 63 yards for a touchdown and Justin Woodall took the second interception back 74 yards. Both defensive backs juked out Dick along the way as part of the Tide's 35-point first half.
"I just made two stupid throws," Dick said. "If I hang on to the ball or just don't throw the ball, then it's probably a much different ballgame than what it was."
Offensive coordinator Paul Petrino said, "They were option routes and he's just got to sit on his second step and see where the receiver's going. He threw it too soon."
The Razorbacks seemed in position to narrow the 35-7 gap just before halftime after freshman Jarius Wright took his first collegiate reception 11 yards to the Alabama 1. But two running plays by Brandon Barnett didn't make it into the end zone, Dick threw low to De'Anthony Curtis on third down, then Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain slammed Michael Smith on fourth down to complete the goal-line stand.
"They filled the gaps extremely quick," Smith said.
"If you take some interceptions here, some miscues here, you have a 21-point swing in some situations throughout this game," Arkansas tight end D.J. Williams said. "We bit ourselves many times."
Barnett appeared close to cracking the plane of the goal line on first down. On third down, Bobby Petrino contended Williams was held by a linebacker while trying to run a drag route.
"You'd like to get it in and come outof the locker room knowing you're going to receive the kickoff and go move and score again and switch the momentum," Petrino said.
Instead, the Crimson Tide closed out the half with momentum after allowing the Razorbacks to drive 76 yards.
"I think the competitive character of a team that has a goal-line stand on the road like that is really to be commended," Saban said.
Things got worse for Arkansas on the first snap of the second half. Dick's throw to London Crawford was slightly wide, and Tide cornerback Marquis Johnson made a diving interception. Two plays later, Glen Coffee powered 31 yards off left tackle to put Alabama up 42-7.
Alabama gained 402 yards on 50 plays.
"If you were going to tell me we would hold them to less than 60 plays, but they're going to put [49] points on the board against us, I would've had to laugh," Arkansas defensive coordinator Willy Robinson said.
Alabama's most time-consuming drive was its first, when the Razorbacks committed a key error when freshman Elton Ford brushed into punter P.J. Fitzgerald and drew a 5-yard penalty. Sixplays later, after a 26-yard pass from John Parker Wilson to Earl Alexander, Mark Ingram scored from the 1 for Alabama's first points.
Most of the other Crimson Tide scores were of the quick-strike variety, the long interception returns, and runs of 87 yards by Coffee and 62 yards by Roy Upchurch. Both of those touchdown runs came on the first play of series.
"That was the one thing we really thought we could do in this game, try to control the line of scrimmage with our line," Saban said.
Alabama rushed for 328 yards, and held the Razorbacks to 309 total yards.
Arkansas competed statistically, but the game's lasting impression will be Dick's futile attempts at tackling Alabama defensive backs, the inability to score on first-and-goal from the 1 and mistakes like Ford's penalty and a holding call on London Crawford that short-circuited the Hogs' first possession.
"The first part of winning games is not beating yourselves, taking care of the ball, being where you're supposed to be, not having assignment errors, getting more big plays than your opponent gets," Petrino said. "That's all part of it, and we haven't gotten there yet."
Sports, Pages 31, 40 on 09/21/2008